Mapping the Landscape of Digital Research Tools

The digital research data infrastructure landscape comprises a myriad of tools for

managing and sharing research data during various stages of the research data lifecycle (RDL). Such

research tools vary widely depending on data type, user requirement, provider, and subject area. In

the context of the Mapping the Landscape of Digital Research Tools Working Group (WG), research

tools enable researchers to perform one or more operations, typically on data, and often with data as

the output. Tools are usually intended for use by humans. In this context we are explicitly excluding

physical instruments.

The diversity and variety of research tools can prove overwhelming and challenging for stakeholders

working within the digital research data ecosystem to understand, navigate, and select the most

appropriate tool to meet their needs and objectives. The categorisation of research tools, based on

their features, functionalities and how they interoperate, remains unclear. In many cases, research

tools are not interoperable, often leading to siloed working within organisations and disciplines,

thereby limiting the scope of research and the ability to share and reuse data.

This WG aimed to address these challenges by: (i) categorising different types of research tools; and,

(ii) mapping different types of research tools to the RDL based on their features and functionalities.

The WG produced a categorisation schema of research tool types that includes terminologies,

definitions and associated metadata describing features and functionalities of different tool types. In

order to ensure the categorisation schema of tool types is accessible, engaging, and interactive, the

WG has produced a visual online map of the digital research tool landscape which serves as a dynamic

prototype to be further developed in the future.